Manchester City star Pablo Zableta insists the future is bright at Eastlands in the best league in the world

Pablo Zabaleta has no doubt the Barclays Premier League is the best in the world.

The Argentina international only moved to England last August from Espanyol but already he can see the difference in quality.

With four contenders remaining in the last eight of the Champions League and Manchester City on the brink of claiming a quarter-final berth in the UEFA Cup, it seems a fairly obvious statement to make that England the current number one.

Class above: Pablo Zabaleta (R) is confident Manchester City can copy Aston Villa next season and challenge the Premier League's elite

Yet as long as there are critics in Italy and Spain who decry the
efforts of English clubs, Zabaleta believes it is a point worth
stressing.

'This is the best league in the world,' he said.

'There
are four English teams in the quarter-finals of the Champions League
and we are still in the UEFA Cup, which says it all.

If
there is a drawback it is that the same four teams keep finishing in
those all-important Champions League places. Yet long-term, though,
City look a better bet.

They may not manage it this season,
their sights lowered at a seventh-place finish and preferably a UEFA
Cup win to ensure European football next season and end a 33-year
trophy drought.

However, with vast sums of cash provided by
their Abu Dhabi backers, Zabaleta can only see a rosy future for the
Eastlands club.

'The aim of the club is to get into the top
four,' said Zabaleta, who celebrated an Olympic gold medal in Beijing
last summer before linking up with his new team-mates.

'We have
the chance to make history here. The club have money and in the summer
I think there will be even more good players coming, so it is up to the
ones who are here now to play very well for the manager and push
Manchester City even higher.'

The only way is up: Zabaleta insists mega-rich City have a rosy future in store

Ironically, they now head to Chelsea looking for their first Premier League away win since August.

Roman
Abramovich has created a template for City's new owners to follow and
Zabaleta is quietly optimistic his team-mates can strike an unexpected
blow.

'We are capable of winning,' he added.

'We need to concentrate for the entire game because Chelsea have some good forwards.

'But defensively we are very organised, we are more confident because we have started winning and we feel confident.

'It will be difficult because Chelsea are a great team. But we can do it.'

With
10 games remaining, City do need to find some decent away form if they
are to stand a chance of overhauling West Ham, who beat them at Upton
Park last month.

'This is going to be a very good test for us,' he said.

'Generally, our performances have been good and we are moving up the table.

'West Ham are within touching distance now and it is important to get above them.'